Dredge and excavator.



M. P. SOHETZEL.

DREDGE AND EXGAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 001:. so, 1911. I

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH :9 WASHINGTON, D. c.

. M. P. SGHETZEL. I

DRBDGE AND BXGAVATOR. APPLICATION FILED 001'. so, 1911.

Patnted Aug. 19, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

-M. P. SGHETZEL.

DREDGE AND EXGAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. so, 1911.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

.5 SHEETS-$33221 4.

wm/W A COLUMBIA PLANOGR APH co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

Patefited Aug. 19, 1913.

5 SHEETSS HEET 5.

COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH (10., WASHINGTON, D. c.

MARX P. SCHETZEL, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

DREDGE AND EXGAVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

Application filed October 30, 1911. Serial No. 657,506.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARX P. SGHETZEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dredges and Excavators, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to dredging and excavating apparatus.

The object of the present invention is to provide a dredging apparatus involving an excavating device in combination with a suction apparatus capable of continuous oporation, and adjustable to excavate in soft or hard material, and which involves many details of construction designed to increase the efficiency of the dredging and excavating processes.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the axle and wheel support of the dredging device. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the pivotal spud and the discharge connections. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the wheel. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the cutter points of the dredging wheel. Fig. 7 is a detail View of the adjustable guide for the side spuds. Fig. 8 is a detail of the sprocket digger.

In the illustrated embodiment of my in vention 2 represents a barge, float or other vessel of suitable construction, superposed upon which is a frame structure 3 of appropriate design necessary to support and carry the several elements comprising the apparatus.

Mounted upon suitable transverse journals A on the upper deck of the barge 2 there is a pair of forwardly projecting trusses 5 of requisite proportion and size to project well forward over one end of the barge, and carry upon their swinging ends removable suction pipes which are transversely united at their outer ends to a common suction piece, here forming an axle 7 bolted axially to elbows 8 of the suction pipes 6 by tie-rods orbolts 9, as seen in Fig. 3. The inner ends of the rods 9 project through a cross frame 10 at each end of the axle 7.

The axle 7 is turnably supported in suitable sleeves or bearings 11 at each end, which are rigidly connected to the adjacent faces of the elbows 8 which are here shown as being provided with upwardly projecting links or'other connecting devices 12 to transverse bars 13. The outer ends of these are connected by suspending chains 14 to suitable fastenings 15 secured upon the outer ends of the braces 5 on each side of the ends of the axle 7, as shown in Fig. 1. The sleeves or bearings 11, in which the hollow suction member or axle 7 is turnable, are

provided with suitable packing glands 11 to prevent the escape of the fluid through the joints. The hollow axle 7 is provided with a pair of downwardly projecting suction mouths 16, the lower ends of which are suitably flared so as to effectually suck up fluid and spoil which may be collected in the lower portion of the rotating dredge device, indicated generally at A, and which.

dredging device is shown as a wheel rotatably mounted upon the hollow axle 7 which is supported on the braces or trusses 5.

The dredging structure A may be composed of suitable elements effective to revolve into contact with the surface to be disintegrated, and I have shown the dredging. device or wheel A as having a number of ends of the bucket sections 17 inclined plates 18, which terminate at their rear edges 19 in a line nearer the center of the wheel A. Upon the forward outermost edges of the bottoms or plates 18 I prefer to JIlOLlIlt suitable breaking or cutting points or teeth 20, which are adapted to gradually disintegrate or break up the material which is being dredged.

The excavating wheel A is revolved upon the relatively stationary axle 7- by any suitable means, and I employ sprocket chains 21, one of which may be mounted on each side of the wheel A, and which sprocket chains rest upon complementary wheels or pinions 22 mounted on the side rims 23 of the wheel, here driven by master sprockets 24 mounted fit) upon a driving shaft 25 in suitable journals 26 carried by the trusses 5. The wheels, 22, are loose and intended to insure the digging wheel against injury when working in soil containing rock or bowlders, and the great arc .in which the chains, 21, lie around the wheel produces sutiicient friction to cause the rotation of said wheel.

The e'tticiency of the dredging appa 'atus may be increased by providing upon certain links of the sprocket chains 21 digging teeth 27 adapted to engage and disintegrate the material being excavated. In order to facilitate in the ready adjustment of the dredging apparatus A, vertically, so as to enable it to be lowered into the material be ing excavated, I connect to each of the bars 13 connected to the outer swinging ends of the trusses 5 substantial flexible devices, as chains 28, which pass forwardly over drmns or supporting sheaves 29 journaled in the upper structure These chains 28 extend rear 'ardly and downward at the rear portion of the barge over sheaves 30; the ends of the chains being connected to suitable counterweights 31 designed to approximately balance the load of the dredging device A and the trusses 5.

Relative adjustment of the dredging wheel A and the barge 2 may be accomplished by connecting to the bars 13 and the counterweights movable therewith, a flexible connection, as chains or cables which pass dmvnwardly to the deck of the barge and are secured upon suitable drums 83 driven by a suitable motor 34; the other ends oi the flexible connections or cables 82- being continued upwardly and rearwardly over giudes 35 turnable on the shaft of the sprocket wheels 30 over which the connecting chains 28 travel. After the dredging wheel A has been adjusted in juxtaposition to the material to be excavated and it is revolved, the material will collect in the lower portion of the wheel. below the suction months 16. Suction. will be created therein through means of a suitable pump or pumps 36, which are located at any convenient or appropriate points between the suction mouth pieces 16 and the discharge connection 37. In the present instance I have shown each of the suction pipes 6 as provided with pumps 36 mounted approximately in the center of the angular trusses 5; and adjacent to the pumps 36 there are provided priming devices 38, the pumps being driven by suitable motors 3.), which are mounted upon the trusses lVhen the motors are set in operation and the pumps 36 thereby driven, a suction will be created in the mouths 16 adjacent the lower portion of the dredger wheel A. The material drawn through the pumps 36 will be discharged through suitable discharge pipes to which are connected to the pumps 36, and in which discharge pipes 40 I have found it convenient to place observation glasses 41, through which may be seen the character or nature of the spoil running through the suction apparatus. In this instance I have shown a suction pipe (3 on each side of the dredger wheel A; these suction pipes 6 being supported upon and carried by the adjustable trusses 5, so it is expedient to continue their discharge pipes or connections 40 downwardly to a common hinge connection, as at 42, Fig. 2, and to so connect the discharge pipes 4:0 to the hinge joint 42 as to allow the angular adjustment of the trusses 5 and their superposed suction pipes 4:0. From the common hinge joint 42 the spoils are discharged through a common discharge pipe 43 which finally discharges into the discharge 37.

During the dredging operations with the present apparatus the barge is temporarily restrained in given positions between a plurality of spuds, one of which is indicated at 4st as passing downwardly through the discharge connection 37, and which spud 4% thus acts as a pivot about which the barge 2 may make a complete revolution during its operations. The peculiar detail of construction of the discharge connection 37 is clearly indicated in Fig. 4, in which the device 37 is shown as being provided with a central chamber 45 formed within a sleeve to located within an annular downwardly turned portion t? 01' the discharge piece 37. An annular discharge chamber 48 is formed between the sleeve 46 and the exterior of the casing portion 47, so that the spoils going through the discharge pipe 4-3 and connection 37 are finally discharged around the sleeve Q6 and through an elbow 1-9, which is turnably mounted upon and relative to the downwardly turned portion 4' It will be seen that by this construction it is possible to swing the barge in a complete circle about the pivotal spud la without removing the latter, and that by means of swivel connection 49, the pipe line which may be connected to the connection 49, will not have to be adjusted for each change of position radially of the barge 2 relative to the spud. The vertical movement of the barge 2 caused by variations in the level of the water in which it may float is permitted by slotting the lower end of the swivel point 49, as at 50, and in the lower portion of the spud 44: suitable pins or other devices 51 are secured, which will prevent the rotation of the swivel member 49 about the spud i l.

The swivel motion of the discharge elbow 49 relative to the discharge connection 37, which is rigidly mounted upon the barge 2, is permitted by so clamping the discharge piece 49 to the section 37 by a collar 52 that the one may turn relative to the other.

After the barge 2 has been adjusted in a given position radially from thespud 44, it is desirable to prevent lateral movement to one side or the other and this is prevented by forcing other spuds, as 53, into the material below the water on either side of the barge. As in many instances it becomes necessary to transport the barge through narrow canals, bridges or other passageways, it is desirable to so mount side guides 54, Fig. 7, in which the spuds are guided, that they may be swung upwardly on to the deck of the barge, thus materially reducing the over-all width of the apparatus. To that end I have provided spud guides 54, which are made of two relatively adjustable pieces, one of which, as 55 is permanently connected to the deck of the barge and provided with a pivot 56, upon which the other portion of the spud guide 54 may be swung when the spuds have been removed and it is desired to pass the barge through a narrow passageway.

In certain classes of dredging operations the spuds will become very firmly embedded in the material beneath the water and considerable force is required'before they can be removed. In the present instance I have designed a spud, as 44, which may be removed from its embedded position with great facility without the requirement of specially powerful machinery or apparatus. This I accomplish by forming upon the lower end of the spud a hollow portion 4-4 which is provided with a number of perforations 44 through which water may be forced under considerable pressure by connecting to a socket 44 a hose or other means for supplying the water at desired pressure.

It will be manifest that by providing a sufficient number of perforations 44 around the surface of the lower portion of the spud and forcing water or other fluid under suf ficient pressure through the perforations, that the material in which the spud may be embedded will be effectually loosened up to release the spud 44, thereby permitting the latter to be lifted with ease.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A. digging and excavating apparatus having in combination, a revoluble wheel having a series of radially disposed bucket-like elements and diggers at the outermost ends of said elements, a. hollow axle about which the wheel is turnable, a sprocket chain at each side of the wheel, said chains having digging teeth, driving gears over which the sprocket chains run, whereby the latter revolve the wheel, and a suction apparatus, connected to the hollow axle and extending downwardly into the wheel whereby the debris is withdrawn from the buckets.

2. A digging and excavating apparatus having in combination, a revoluble wheel having a series of radially disposed bucketlike elements and .diggers at the outermost ends of said elements, a hollowaxle about which the wheel is turnable, a sprocket chain at each side of the wheel,said chains having digging teeth, driving gears over which the sprocket chains run, whereby the latter revolve the wheel, a suction apparatus connected to the hollow axle and extending downwardly into the wheel whereby the debris is withdrawn from the buckets, a barge, said suction apparatus having a hinge joint in its length, and means mounted upon the barge whereby the bucket wheel and suction apparatus may be elevated or lowered.

3. In an apparatus for dredging and excavating, the combination of a float, a revoluble digging wheel, a sprocket chain at each side of the wheel having digging teeth, said wheel having a series of radially disposed bucket-like elements, and diggers at' the outermost ends thereof, said elements being formed of side panels which extend from the digging teeth toward the center of the wheel the radial edges of adjacent panels being spaced and the panels being bent sothat the material which is dug up by the scrapers will be thrown into the wheel, a truss frame pivoted upon the barge, a hollow axle supported onthe outer end of the truss frame, about which axle the wheel is revoluble, and a suction apparatus connected to the hollow axle whereby the debris is withdrawn from the excavating wheel.

4. In an apparatus for dredging and excavating, the combination of a float, a revoluble digging wheel, a sprocket chain at each side of the wheel having digging teeth, said wheel having a series of radially disposed bucket-like elements, and diggers at the outermost ends thereof, said elements being formed of side panels which extend from the digging teeth toward the center of the wheel the radial edges of adjacent panels being spaced and the panels being bent so that the material which is dug up by the scrapers will be thrown into the wheel, a truss frame pivoted upon the barge, a hollow axle supported on the' outer end of the truss frame, about which axle the wheel is revoluble, a suction apparatus connected to the hollow axle whereby the debris is withdrawn from the excavating wheel, and a common discharge pipe, to which the suction apparatus is adjustably connected.

5. In a digging and excavating apparatus, a revoluble wheel having a plurality of buckets, with diggers or cutters at their outermost peripheral edges, said buckets being formed of side panels which extend from the diggers or cutters toward the center of the wheel, the radial edges of adjacent panels being spaced and the panels be- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set ing bent so that the material which is dug my hand in the presence of two subscribup by the scrapers Will be thrown into the ing witnesses.

Wheel, a hollow axle about which the wheel MARX P. SCHETZEL. is turnahle, means for rotating the wheel Witnesses:

and a suction pipe connected to said axle CHARLES EDELMAN,

and leading into the interior of the wheel. CHAs. GEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

